interjection
ahoy
uh-HOY
interjection
1
A call used to hail a ship or attract someone's attention, especially at sea.
""Ahoy there!" the captain shouted across the water."
"Ahoy, is anyone on deck?"
How to Use Ahoy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA traditional sailor's greeting or attention-getting shout, now mostly used jokingly or in pirate speech.
When to use it
Rarely used outside nautical contexts or humor.
Word Forms
ahoyed past tense, ahoys plural, ahoys singular
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"_____ there!" the captain shouted across the water.
Etymology
From "a-" plus the old nautical call "hoy," a shout used since medieval times to hail or greet someone.